Gechi (woreda)
Encyclopedia
Gechi is one of the 180 woreda
s in the Oromia Region
of Ethiopia
. Part of the Illubabor Zone
, Gechi is bordered on the south by Didessa
, on the east by the Jimma Zone
, on the north by Bedele
, and on the east by the Didessa River
which separates it from the Jimma Zone. Towns in Gechi include Gechi and Yanfu.
Coffee
is an important cash crop of this woreda. Between 20 and 50 square kilometers are planted with this crop.
This woreda was selected by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development
in 2004 as one of several areas for voluntary resettlement for farmers from overpopulated areas. Gechi became the new home for a total of 17,395 heads of households and 2048 total family members.
in 2005, this woreda has an estimated total population of 116,849, of whom 59,426 are men and 57,423 are women; 7,811 or 6.68% of its population are urban dwellers, which is less than the Zone average of 12%. With an estimated area of 1,400.47 square kilometers, Gechi has an estimated population density of 83.4 people per square kilometer, which is greater than the Zone average of 72.3.
The 1994 national census reported a total population for this woreda of 83,723, of whom 41,322 were men and 42,401 women; 4,369 or 5.22% of its population were urban dwellers at the time. The two largest ethnic groups reported in Gechi were the Oromo
(96.59%), and the Amhara
(2.3%); all other ethnic groups made up 1.11% of the population. Oromiffa
was spoken as a first language by 97.16%, and 2.09% spoke Amharic
; the remaining 0.75% spoke all other primary languages reported. The majority of the inhabitants were Muslim
, with 90.33% of the population reporting they practiced that belief, while 9.24% of the population said they professed Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity.
Woreda
Woreda is an administrative division of Ethiopia , equivalent to a district . Woredas are composed of a number of Kebele, or neighborhood associations, which are the smallest unit of local government in Ethiopia...
s in the Oromia Region
Oromia Region
Oromia is one of the nine ethnic divisions of Ethiopia...
of Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
. Part of the Illubabor Zone
Illubabor Zone
Illubabor is one of the 17 zones of the Oromia Region of Ethiopia. Illubabor is named for the former province Illubabor. It is bordered on the south by the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Region, on the southwest by the Gambela Region, on the west by Misraq Welega, on the north by the...
, Gechi is bordered on the south by Didessa
Didessa (woreda)
Didessa is one of the 180 woredas in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia. It is named after the Didessa River, a tributary of the Abay River. Part of the Illubabor Zone, Didessa is bordered on the south by the Didessa River which separates it from the Jimma Zone, and on the north by Gechi. The major town...
, on the east by the Jimma Zone
Jimma Zone
Jimma is one of the 17 Zones of the Ethiopian Region of Oromia. Jimma is named for the former Kingdom of Jimma, which was absorbed into the former province of Kaffa in 1932...
, on the north by Bedele
Bedele (woreda)
Bedele is one of the 180 woredas in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Illubabor Zone, Bedele is bordered on the south by Gechi, on the southwest by Chora, on the west by Dega, on the north by the southern exclave of the Benishangul-Gumuz Region, on the northeast by the Didessa River which...
, and on the east by the Didessa River
Didessa River
The Didessa River is a river in western Ethiopia. A tributary of the Abay River, it rises in the mountains of Gomma, flowing in a northwestern direction to its confluence where the course of the Abay has curved to its southernmost point before turning northwards at about...
which separates it from the Jimma Zone. Towns in Gechi include Gechi and Yanfu.
Coffee
Coffee
Coffee is a brewed beverage with a dark,init brooo acidic flavor prepared from the roasted seeds of the coffee plant, colloquially called coffee beans. The beans are found in coffee cherries, which grow on trees cultivated in over 70 countries, primarily in equatorial Latin America, Southeast Asia,...
is an important cash crop of this woreda. Between 20 and 50 square kilometers are planted with this crop.
This woreda was selected by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development
Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (Ethiopia)
The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development is the Ethiopian government ministry which oversees the agricultural and rural development policies of Ethiopia on a Federal level...
in 2004 as one of several areas for voluntary resettlement for farmers from overpopulated areas. Gechi became the new home for a total of 17,395 heads of households and 2048 total family members.
Demographics
Based on figures published by the Central Statistical AgencyCentral Statistical Agency (Ethiopia)
The Central Statistical Agency is an agency of the government of Ethiopia designated to provide all surveys and censuses for that country used to monitor economic and social growth, as well as to act as an official training center in that field. It is part of the Ethiopian Ministry of Finance and...
in 2005, this woreda has an estimated total population of 116,849, of whom 59,426 are men and 57,423 are women; 7,811 or 6.68% of its population are urban dwellers, which is less than the Zone average of 12%. With an estimated area of 1,400.47 square kilometers, Gechi has an estimated population density of 83.4 people per square kilometer, which is greater than the Zone average of 72.3.
The 1994 national census reported a total population for this woreda of 83,723, of whom 41,322 were men and 42,401 women; 4,369 or 5.22% of its population were urban dwellers at the time. The two largest ethnic groups reported in Gechi were the Oromo
Oromo people
The Oromo are an ethnic group found in Ethiopia, northern Kenya, .and parts of Somalia. With 30 million members, they constitute the single largest ethnic group in Ethiopia and approximately 34.49% of the population according to the 2007 census...
(96.59%), and the Amhara
Amhara people
Amhara are a highland people inhabiting the Northwestern highlands of Ethiopia. Numbering about 19.8 million people, they comprise 26% of the country's population, according to the 2007 national census...
(2.3%); all other ethnic groups made up 1.11% of the population. Oromiffa
Oromo language
Oromo, also known as Afaan Oromo, Oromiffa, Afan Boran, Afan Orma, and sometimes in other languages by variant spellings of these names , is an Afro-Asiatic language, and the most widely spoken of the Cushitic family. Forms of Oromo are spoken as a first language by more than 25 million Oromo and...
was spoken as a first language by 97.16%, and 2.09% spoke Amharic
Amharic language
Amharic is a Semitic language spoken in Ethiopia. It is the second most-spoken Semitic language in the world, after Arabic, and the official working language of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. Thus, it has official status and is used nationwide. Amharic is also the official or working...
; the remaining 0.75% spoke all other primary languages reported. The majority of the inhabitants were Muslim
Islam in Ethiopia
According to the latest 2007 national census, Islam is the second most widely practised religion in Ethiopia after Christianity, with over 25 million of Ethiopians adhering to Islam according to the 2007 national census, having arrived in Ethiopia in 615...
, with 90.33% of the population reporting they practiced that belief, while 9.24% of the population said they professed Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity.